There for You
by Moonlight Serenity
Summary: A particularly violent demon injures Maron. Chiaki takes care of her. ChiakixMaron.


This is my first KKJ story! I discovered the manga/anime a few months ago and loved it so I had to write for it. This is just a short, fluffy piece. I hope you like it.

Mmm… I definitely took a few liberties: I combined parts of the manga and the anime. Jeanne uses a ribbon and wears her second anime costume, Sinbad doesn't wear anything to cover his face, Myst exists, and such like in the anime; however, an angel appears on stolen items, etc, like in the manga. I don't know exactly when this would take place chronologically within the context of the manga (I like the timeline in the manga a lot better), but it's sometime after Finn leaves (so Maron knows Chiaki is Sinbad). I actually wrote most of this a few months ago and didn't have time to edit or publish it... so if I've made any mistakes please forgive me.

Also, I'm listing this as complete because it can stand alone and right now I plan for it to do just that; however, I may eventually choose to add additional chapters that can also stand-alone.

Disclaimer: I don't own nor am I in anyway affiliated with Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne or t.A.T.u.

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><p>There for You<p>

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><p>"And consequence is in the future, and feeling is now, and I can't feel the future, but I can be there for you now. I only want what I can't have. I only need what I don't want."<p>

- "Craving" t.A.T.u.

"I have appeared," cried the infamous Kaitou Jeanne as she stood aloft on a polished banister. She lithely leapt from the stairwell and somersaulted before landing on the ground floor. "Now," she murmured as she lightly held the Petit Clair. The small object beeped softly, but increased in frequency as she approached a broach displayed on the opposite wall. Jeanne slowed a little before steeling herself. This was too simple. She was sure she was walking into a trap. She was suddenly thankful for the blizzard blustering outdoors. At least she wouldn't need to worry over the safety of the police force or Miyako.

The lingering silence was abruptly broken by a disturbing shriek. "Come no closer, Jeanne d'Arc," a possessed woman hissed unhappily from a shrouded corner. Suddenly, the demon wrenched itself away from the body of the woman and towered before the Kaitou. The woman fell to the floor unconscious and the demon loomed. It was very large in every sense of the word. Its skin was rough, scaly, and jagged. Its nails and teeth sharp. "I would rather come to you and deliver your demise."

The demon lurched forward and the Kaitou jumped backward. Jeanne gripped her lengthy ribbon in her hand. She invoked Kami-sama and prepared to seal the demon, but the monster lunged again and knocked the weapon away. The demon laughed and wrenched Jeanne up by her left leg. The slender blond screamed as the air whipped around her. A spasm of pain rippled in the girl's ankle and she realized it had been twisted. A moment later, the Kaitou found herself dangling upside-down twenty feet above the ground as the demon clutched her leg.

"Maron!" a concerned voice roared. Kaitou Sinbad had arrived, as well. The boy tried to quickly think of a plan that would rescue the girl.

"No one shall interfere," the demon growled and began to squeeze his captive's leg.

"Chiaki!" Kaitou Jeanne screamed again as pain enveloped her left leg. The demon was surely bruising it and it felt as though its coarse, calloused scales were tearing through her flesh. If he continued to apply pressure she worried that her fibula or tibia would shatter. The blood rushing to her head suddenly made her very dizzy.

Kaitou Sinbad leapt into action when the girl's agonized voice once again filled his head. The monster was distracted by his hostage's pain and the male Kaitou hurled his boomerang at the arm of the demon that held Jeanne. It cleanly sliced through the fiend's limb. It shrieked and seized its injured arm. The blond Kaitou began to fall. The combination of lightheadedness and her wounded leg would never allow her to stick an agile landing. Sinbad rushed forward and caught the girl in his arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes," she murmured a moment later. She attempted to free herself from Chiaki's grasp, but he held fast. She squirmed suddenly and freed herself. She knelt clumsily and collected her ribbon. She then stood unsteadily, "in the name of Kami-sama, you, an evil born from darkness, shall be sealed here!" The ribbon whipped. "Checkmate!"

Jeanne fell the moment she felt the weight of the knight in her hand. "Maron," Chiaki repeated and crouched beside her. It was then Chiaki noticed the state of her right leg. "Kuso," he muttered and reached out to touch it. The white boot was torn and her revealed flesh was bruised, swollen, and bloody. He placed two fingers lightly on a flowering bruise and watched blood quickly bead and then run down her leg. He then looked into her averted eyes.

"I'm fine," she stated firmly. Chiaki ignored her words and began to remove her boot. "Hey, wait," she called, but the boy then gently wrapped his hand around the newly exposed, battered flesh.

"Maron," he repeated slowly, almost sorrowfully.

"I said, 'I'm fine,'" she huffed and crossed her arms and turned away. She made no attempt to move, though. Maron squealed unhappily when Chiaki unexpectedly made to caress her head, but then removed her ribbon. Jeanne faded to Maron. "Why did you do that!" she squawked.

"You're hurt," he replied simply. Sinbad removed his headband and once again became Chiaki. "Your pant leg will staunch the bleeding for now," he began and gently prodded her tender leg, "I don't think it's severe enough for a tourniquet." Chiaki watched mirthlessly as blood besotted Maron's jeans. "Did you not bring a warmer coat?" he asked incredulously.

"No. I was in a hurry," Maron challenged. The male sighed and shed his heavy trench coat from his back. He tugged it over her arms, wrapped it around her tightly, and then buttoned it. He pulled the hood over her head. "I'm not inept," she protested weakly. She hated to admit it, but she was grateful for the warmth and his scent that blanketed her small form. It made her sleepy.

Chiaki swiftly placed one arm behind her back and the other behind her knees and lifted her. She made a noise of dissent, but he paid her frustration no heed and shifted her onto his back. "I'm going to carry you home," the boy stated. The brunette wriggled a little, but the lesion had drained her energy. "You're leg is shredded and swollen. You can't walk. The blood loss alone should make you dizzy," he continued. "I'd let you prove it to yourself, but that would just take more unnecessary time." The girl stopped fighting when she heard the undertone of unease in his voice. She wrapped her arms around his neck and then rested her head against his shoulder; he realized she must be in pain if she'd stop fighting him. "I'll hurry."

Chiaki glanced in the direction of the woman who'd been possessed earlier. She was already starting to regain consciousness and would surely be fine. Satisfied that the innocent victim was unharmed, Chiaki left the mansion and wandered into the awaiting blizzard.

Maron was very quiet as Chiaki struggled through the snow. He attempted to shield her body from harsh winds and mask his shivering. He was very thankful that he knew a shortcut from this side of town to their apartment complex. He felt anxious because of her lack of response. She occasionally spoke, but said very little. He pulled her closer and saw their apartment in the distance. He quickened his pace. "It's all right, Maron," he tried to reassure them both.

The pair eventually entered the complex. Chiaki hurried to the elevator, freed one hand, and pressed the button. Usually, he loathed when their missions kept them out late, but he was suddenly thankful that it was past midnight. There would be very few people around to ask questions. The boy impatiently shifted from foot to foot. "We're almost home," he told her, "where is your key?"

"It's in my left pocket," she rustled around until she felt the key in her palm. In another moment, they were out of the elevator and standing in front of her door. The girl reached forward and turned the lock. Chiaki hurried into the apartment and placed her on the couch.

"I'll be right back," he said as he turned to leave.

"Wait, Chiaki, I'm fine. Thank you for bringing me home, but I can take it from here," she gestured for him to leave. Chiaki paused, frowned at her for a moment, and then hurried out the door. Maron sighed. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to patch this one up, but at least Chiaki wasn't around anymore. She couldn't allow herself to accept his help even if she might actually need it. She couldn't let him see how weakened she had become. Regularly, she thought, she'd just ask Finn to fish some supplies from her medicine cabinet. The brunette kept it well stocked since she became a Kaitou. The girl leaned back. She resolved she would rest for a bit before trying to clean herself up. She pulled the throw from the couch and haphazardly placed it over herself. She was careful to keep her leg away from anything it could stain. The last thing she needed was Miyako to notice dried blood and start an inquisition.

Maron tried to ignore the pulsing of her leg and relax, but it seemed like a fruitless effort. She sighed again and realized she'd have to clean it up before she could seek respite. She chewed the inside of her lip and attempted to rise from the couch. She gingerly placed weight on her leg, but collapsed almost immediately. She winced and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She was only on the ground for a split second before she heard the door to her apartment squeaking open. Chiaki rushed into the room with his arms full. He noticed Maron on the floor immediately and tried to hide his frustration and distaste. He stoically placed the supplies on her coffee table and placed a sheet over her couch while she sat silently in the floor. "Chiaki, I," she started to tell him she didn't need his help, but he didn't let her finish. He scooped her up wordlessly and placed her back on the couch. "Chiaki!" she gasped. She looked into his hardened eyes and cringed. She tried to put on a brave face, but she was still a little frightened.

Chiaki placed one hand to the left of Maron's head and used the other to grip her chin and make her look at him. "Stay," he said firmly, "you're going to make it worse." His brown eyes conveyed strength and tried to plead with her, but also spoke of some sort of inner turmoil and great sorrow. She tried to look away from his piercing gaze, but he held her firm. "If I couldn't protect you at least let me help you," he stated emotionlessly; his expression was now shrouded. He started to pull away, "baka." The brunette sat quietly as she watched the blunette's retreating back. He carried a cloth toward her bathroom

A few minutes later Chiaki returned. He appeared to have calmed considerably. He told her softly that he'd adjusted her thermostat so it would be warmer. He handed her a few painkillers and a glass of water. She swallowed them gratefully and gave the glass back. Then he knelt before her and looked at her levelly. "I need to take your pants off," he said without wavering. The girl blushed. "I can't clean your leg up if I don't. I brought you some shorts. I'll help you. I promise I won't look," he continued and then a familiar smirk appeared on his face, "unless you want me to look."

Maron's face was glowing when Chiaki again lifted her and leaned her body against his. "Don't look," Maron grumbled. She didn't want his help, but something about his earlier words and expressions when he found her on the floor kept her from complaining. She wondered if she just missed having company now that Finn was gone.

After a few minutes of struggling and embarrassing tugging, Chiaki once again placed Maron on the couch. "You're as light as air," he commented as he tossed her ruined pants in a plastic bag and grabbed a few supplies from the coffee table. "It's a good thing. It would've been harder to carry you home. It really does feel like you have wings." He took her foot in his hand and began to thoroughly inspect her leg. It was swollen, bruised, and bloodied. The blood has crusted around some of the shallow scrapes. A few of the demon's scales and thorns were embedded in her pale, tender flesh. The boy placed the cool, wet cloth against the girl's leg and started to gently remove the ruddy, ruby rivulets.

"Why did you call me an idiot," Maron eventually asked as Chiaki soothingly cleaned her leg, "this time?" It wasn't unusual for Chiaki to insult her and criticize her.

"I didn't call _you_ an idiot," he responded, "I called us both idiots. It's idiotic – you charging into battle while I attempt to step in if I'm needed; I seal demons when you hesitate; I rescue you from danger; yet we're here now: you're hurt. It's all insanely stupid."

"I'm fine," Maron asserted, but she flinched as he ran the towel over a particularly ruined area. "You shouldn't feel guilty. I know what I'm getting into – I'll be all right," she then rattled off her catchphrase. "You don't have to save me." She grimaced when her counterpart began to pluck otherworldly scales and thorns from her leg. The boy's eyes narrowed as she wiggled unpleasantly when he began to loosen particularly deep debris.

"This one's really lodged in here. I'm going to have to pull this out," he grimaced. Maron glanced at her leg and then quickly turned away. It was going to hurt.

"Okay," she mustered a little courage and infused more bravery than she felt into the statement.

"Okay," he repeated as he mentally fortified himself. He wrapped one hand around her calf and the other gripped the scale. The girl trembled a little and prayed her counterpart didn't notice. She didn't want him to see the weakness she wished she didn't possess. "On three," she flinched as he began to count, "… one… two…"

The boy's voice never rattled off the final number because his mouth was occupied elsewhere. He was suddenly kissing her in that maddening way of his. It made her feel warm, safe, desired, and dizzy. His lips melded against her soft, pliant mouth as he freed the scale from her battered flesh. He dominated the kiss and deepened it. A moment later, he reluctantly relinquished the contact.

Chiaki needed to staunch the bleeding promptly. He swiftly deposited the scale and applied pressure to the wound. "Oh," he heard Maron later utter breathlessly. He cast her a fleeting look and noticed a few tears of pain pricking her beautiful orbs. As he tended her wound, he trailed soothing kisses along the inside of her knee. Finally, he swathed the gash with a layer of ointment and a thick layer of taut bandages. She sniffled and he kissed her again briefly before standing. He threw the discarded blanket over the girl again and then cleaned the mess. When he completed the task, he rested beside her on the couch. He tipped his head backward and wrapped an arm around her.

"You scared me tonight," he stated, "just for a minute – when the demon first grabbed you so roughly." The boy shuddered a little from the memory. Maron blushed.

"Thank you for patching up my leg," the girl struggled through her gratitude. "I want to be able to say, 'I didn't need you to save me. I could have gotten free myself. I could've gotten home. I could've taken care of myself.'"

Chiaki pulled Maron closer to his side. The brunette felt her eyes begin to droop and leaned heavily against the blunette. He held her until he felt her chest rise and fall steadily. He breathing was soft and even. When he was sure she was asleep, he lifted her once more and carried her to her bedroom. "I'm going to stay with you tonight," he told the sleeping girl, "I want to be nearby." He turned down the blankets on her bed, tucked her in, slid in beside her, and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Maron."

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><p>Well, that's the end for now. I hope you enjoyed it! It's just fluffy. Please, please review and let me know what you thought or if you liked it. Let me know if you'd like me to add more, too. Thanks for reading (:<p>

Ja ne,

Moonlight Serenity


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